Solomon Enthroned as the King of the Three Worlds

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Solomon Enthroned as the King of the Three Worlds

India, Uttar Pradesh, Awadh, Lucknow, circa 1775-1800
Drawings; watercolors
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Sheet: 12 5/8 x 9 5/8 in. (32.07 x 24.45 cm); Image: 8 7/8 x 6 1/8 in. (22.54 x 15.56 cm)
Gift of Anna Bing Arnold (M.89.51.1)
South and Southeast Asian Art
Not currently on public view

Curator Notes

According to Islamic belief, Solomon (Arabic name: Sulayman), the third king of ancient Israel, was an archetype of the ideal of just kingship....
According to Islamic belief, Solomon (Arabic name: Sulayman), the third king of ancient Israel, was an archetype of the ideal of just kingship. Graced with the ability to communicate with and calm wild beasts, Solomon was regarded as the sovereign of the three worlds, the earthly realm (symbolized by the pacified animals beneath him), the nether world (symbolized by the subjugated demons), and the heavens (symbolized by the winged angels bearing offerings). The Mughals and other Islamic dynasties frequently commissioned portraits of Solomon as an allegorical metaphor and leitmotif to affirm the righteousness of their own reigns. He was believed to epitomize the just ruler of a harmonious kingdom. The title of this painting is inscribed on the reverse: “Picture of the Throne of His Majesty Prophet Solomon.” The nimbate Solomon is enthroned in a golden domed pavilion. He is attended by a group of a winged angels in contemporaneous garb. One angel offers him fruit in a blue and white ceramic bowl, while another angel carries a blue and white bowl with a bejeweled golden lid. Various pacified animals gather beneath him, including a liger in the foreground and a Persian mythological simurgh flying above. A phalanx of subjugated demons pay homage before him. The composition is enlivened by the interaction between the angels, the interaction between the demons, and the interaction between the animals. This painting is reportedly based on a Bijapuri work of 1620. See also M.76.113.11.
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Bibliography

  • Markel, Stephen. "The Enigmatic Image: Curious Subjects in Indian Art." Asianart.com, July 28, 2015. http://asianart.com/articles/enigmatic.

     

  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art Members' Calendar 1990.  vol. 27-28, no. 12-1 (December, 1989-January, 1991).

  • Markel, Stephen. "The Enigmatic Image: Curious Subjects in Indian Art." Asianart.com, July 28, 2015. http://asianart.com/articles/enigmatic.

     

  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art Members' Calendar 1990.  vol. 27-28, no. 12-1 (December, 1989-January, 1991).
  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art Members' Calendar 1991. vol. 28-29, no. 12-1 (December, 1990-January, 1992).
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